Dravid's fluency, Viru's hunger decline: Ganguly

Adelaide, Jan 25: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly feels that Virender Sehwag's "hunger to succeed" and veteran Rahul Dravid's "fluency of footwork" is on the decline.

Ganguly seems surprised by the manner both Sehwag and Dravid were getting dismissed in the ongoing Test series against Australia.

"Sehwag once again got out to a loose shot, as we say in sports. There has been a remarkable decline in his determination in the last few years overseas. He has never been a player with lot of footwork but he made up for that with other attributes, such as his enormous hunger to succeed. At the moment, it looks like being on the decline," he wrote in his column for Sydney Morning Herald.

"For Dravid, the problem of the ball rattling the stumps continues. I can't remember him getting bowled so many times in his career and it's becoming a worry for him and a lot of people connected with the game," Ganguly said.

"He just seems to get surprised by the deliveries coming into him and the bat face turns, which allows the ball to go through. That fluency of the footwork has gone completely missing and he will have to work very hard to get it back."

Ganguly's scratching remarks came after India lost both Sehwag and Dravid cheaply in their first innings in reply to Australia's mammoth 604 for seven declared.

The cricketer-turned-commentator feels that India will have to bat out of their skin to avoid a series whitewash here.

"India finished the day with 61 for the loss of the two wickets and will have a Herculean task to get close to that total," Ganguly said.

"India has a lot of distance to cover. It needs two hundreds to get close to Australia's total."

He also wished Sachin Tendulkar to score his impending 100th international century here, the city of legendary Sir Don Bradman.

"I don't know whether the burden of 100 centuries is weighing him down but a 100th hundred hit in the state of Sir Donald Bradman would be fitting," Ganguly said.

"In a country where he is hugely respected, all eyes will be on him, not only for himself but also to see his team through."